Bei
Mir Bist du Schön"How
Sholom Secunda (1894–1974) gave away the rights to his popular
classic...for a song

There
is a popular myth that when the Andrews Sisters released their hugely
successful recording of Sholom Secunda's "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön"
in 1938, the composer's mother was so distraught, she fasted for a week
to expiate her sins.

The
reason for her distress? Only two months earlier, her son had sold the
rights to the song for a mere thirty dollars!

While
the extreme reaction of Secunda's mother, perpetrated by a sensational
article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, is most likely an
exaggeration, the amazingly low amount of the sale is true.

Of
course, the composer had no idea the song would become such a hit.
Written in 1932, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" (translation:
"To Me You Are Beautiful") was part of a Yiddish
operetta called I Would If I Could, written in 1932 by Abraham
Bloom, with music by Secunda and lyrics by his writing partner, Jacob
Jacobs.

The
trio had attempted to sell the show to Hollywood, with no success. Even
Eddie Cantor, who years later would feature the song and its composer on
his radio show, originally turned the show down. With no greater
prospects in sight for their song, Secunda and Jacobs decided they might
as well sell the rights to a publisher.

“At
the time, it was considered good publicity in Yiddish theater circles to
have your songs published," said Secunda in a 1961 interview with The
New York Times. "Most of the time we would publish our songs at
our own expense. If you could sell it to a publisher later on, you were
that much richer. I had sold hundreds of songs for thirty dollars and
was happy to get the money for this one. Jacobs and I split 50–50.”

An Enormous Success

Within
two months of the sale, a then-little-known musical trio called the
Andrews Sisters recorded a newly adapted English-language version of the
song, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin. The only Yiddish that
remained was the title, repeated throughout the song.

Released
by Decca Records, it became the Andrews Sisters' first major hit record.

Even
Americans unfamiliar with Yiddish bought the song in droves. Undaunted
by the title, they requested the recording or sheet music using such
approximations as "Buy Me a Beer, Mr. Shane" or "My Mere
Bits of Shame." However it was pronounced, the song was an enormous
success.

“Bei
Mir Bist Du Schön” quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. The
Russians loved it so much that they claimed it as their own, recording a
Russian-language version with the State Jazz Orchestra of the Soviet
Union and crediting composers O. Kandat and Fidrovsky with authorship.

It was
even a hit in Germany under the Nazi regime—that is, until it was
discovered that the composer and lyricist were Jewish, whereupon the
song was promptly banned.

During
the 28 years that the copyright of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” was
owned by Kammen and other entities, it is estimated that the song
grossed $3,000,000. Many illustrious musical stars shared in its
success, including Ella Fitzgerald, Guy Lombardo, Nelson Eddy, Benny
Goodman and his Orchestra, Judy Garland, Rudy Vallee, and Bette Midler.
Lyricist Sammy Cahn bought his mother a house from the money he earned
from the song. It seemed as if everyone was reaping the rewards of
"Bei Mir Bist Du Schön."

Everyone,
that is, but the composer.

Recreating the Original Sound

In
2001, the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music decided to revisit the
old standard by recording a new orchestration featuring soloist Simon
Spiro and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, led by Israeli conductor Elli
Jaffe.

Though
original orchestrations of many Yiddish theater shows have been lost or
discarded over the years, the Milken Archive—through extensive
research and collaboration with some of the world's finest
reconstruction orchestrators—was able to reconstruct the full-pit
orchestra sound and style of the time. Thus the Milken Archive recording
of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" is the first time audiences will
hear the song as it might have sounded in a Second Avenue theater in New
York City in the early 1930s.

When
asked why the Milken Archive decided to record the song in its original
Yiddish format rather than the Andrews Sisters' English/Yiddish version,
marketing and A&R director Paul Schwendener replied, “It is, in
fact, a Yiddish song from the beginning. Because of the catchy tune, it
became a huge international hit and was translated into many languages.
The Archive naturally wanted to record the original version.”

A Happy Ending

Remarkably,
Secunda was not bitter about losing out on more than $350,000 in
royalties throughout the years. As he told The New York Times,
"It bothered everyone else more than it bothered me. I've been more
interested in my symphonic music."

Fortunately
for Secunda, the story of his most popular composition has a happy
ending. In 1961, the copyright on "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön"
expired, reverting ownership to Secunda and Jacobs. They immediately
signed a contract with Harms, Inc., the music publishing company that
had acquired the rights from the Kammen brothers. This time Secunda
negotiated for himself the full percentage of the composer's royalties.
Current copyright law holds that this will remain in effect until 75
years after his death.

And in
1964, Secunda's oratorio, If Not Higher, premiered in New York
featuring opera stars Richard Tucker and Norman Atkins. It received
great critical acclaim.

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Bei
Mir Bist Du Schön (Means You're Grand)- words by Jacob
Jacobs, Sammy Cahn and Saul Chaplin, music by Sholom Secunda
- originally written in Yiddish by Jacob Jacobs (lyrics) and Sholom
Secunda (music)
for the Yiddish musical "I Would If I Could" in 1933.
English lyrics written for
The Andrews Sisters by Sammy Cahn within a couple of days of the Nov 24,
1937 recording
- "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" means "To Me, You Are
Beautiful"

Of all the boys I've known, and I've known some
Until I first met you, I was lonesome
And when you came in sight, dear, my heart grew light
And this old world seemed new to me

You're really swell, I have to admit you
Deserve expressions that really fit you
And so I've racked my brain, hoping to explain
All the things that you do to me